let880

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Source XML: let880.xml
Title: Theo van Gogh to Vincent van Gogh. Paris, Thursday, 5 June 1890.
Generated: 2026-01-16T18:45:25Z

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Paris le 5 Juin 1890 Mon cher Vincent, Nous sommes tout ce qu’il y a de plus content que tu a pu nous écrire que tu va toujours bien & que le séjour à Auvers a eu plustôt une bonne influence sur ta santé. Hier le D r Gachet venait me voir & malheureusement il y avait du monde ce qui m’a empêché de causer beaucoup avec lui, mais ce qu’il m’a dit c’était qu’il te croyait guéri & qu’il ne voyait pas du tout la nécessité que cela revienne. Il nous a invité à venir chez lui Dimanche prochain où tu serais aussi. Nous avons rudement envie de le faire, mais il n’est pas possible tout de même que Jo le promette d’une façon absolue. Nous sommes allé à S t Cloud le Dimanche de Pentecôte & là nous avons eu ce terrible averse qui doit être tombé chez toi aussi. Le petit sans attraper froid a été tout dérangé depuis, probablement par la foule où nous étions obligé de passer. Veux tu aller voir le D r Gachet et lui dire que s’il fait beau nous acceptons avec grand plaisir mais que nous n’osons pas promettre absolument et que si nous venons nous voudrions être rentré avant le soir. Il y a un train à 5.58 que nous prendrions. Le matin nous partirions avec le train de 10.25 qui arrive à Chaponval à 11.26. Le D r disait de desscendre là / qu’il voulut venir à notre rencontre. Mon cher / la lettre a dû encore rester & il faut que je la finisse à la hâte. L’exposition me donne énormément d’occupation mais aussi de la satisfaction. Tasset a envoyé les couleurs aujourd’hui & elles partent demain avec les Bargue _ Guillaumin à mis à ta disposition un magnifique tableau qui était chez Tanguy / Coucher de soleil. Il fera bien dans ton atelier _ Gausson veut faire un échange avec toi / tout ce que tu voudras de lui contre ce que tu voudras lui donner. J’ai dit qu’il vienne un jour avec moi chez toi pour te voir. Aurier viendra aussi un jour. Il est très content de ton tableau & viendra un Dimanche avec moi te voir. Il faut que je te dise bonjour. Moi je viens en tous les cas à l’heurre dite. Jo te dit bien bonjour & un sourire du petit _ à toi Theo Ne t’éreintes pas & soigne toi bien / dis bonjour au docteur _ Est ce que tes affaires ont fini d’arriver? Paris 5 June 1890 My dear Vincent, We’re as pleased as can be that you were able to write to us that you’re still well and that the stay in Auvers has had rather a good influence on your health. Yesterday Dr Gachet came to see me, and unfortunately there were people there, which prevented me from talking with him much, but what he said to me was that he thought you cured and that he saw no need at all for it to recur. He has invited us to come to his house next Sunday, where you would be too. We’d darned well like to do it, but all the same it isn’t possible for Jo to promise it outright. We went to St-Cloud on Whit Sunday, and there we had that terrible downpour that must have fallen where you are too. Although the little one didn’t catch cold he’s been all upset since then, probably by the crowd we were obliged to pass through. Would you go and see Dr Gachet and tell him that if the weather is fine we accept with great pleasure, but that we dare not promise outright, and that if we come we’d want to be home again before the evening. There’s a train at 5.58 which we’d take. In the morning we’d leave with the 10.25 train, which arrives at Chaponval at 11.26. The Dr said to get off there, that he wanted to come to meet us. My dear fellow, the letter had to wait awhile again and I must finish it in haste. The exhibition is giving me an enormous amount of work but also satisfaction. Tasset has sent the colours today, and they leave tomorrow with the Bargue s. Guillaumin has placed at your disposal a magnificent painting which was at Tanguy ’s, Sunset. It will look good in your studio. Gausson wants to do an exchange with you, anything you want of his in exchange for what you want to give him. I told him to come one day with me to see you at your place. Aurier will also come one day. He’s very pleased with your painting, and will come with me one Sunday to see you. I must say goodbye. I’ll come in any case at the stated time. Jo sends her warm regards, and a smile from the little one . Yours, Theo Don’t wear yourself out, and take good care of yourself, regards to the doctor . Have your things finally arrived? There were two ways of travelling by railway from Paris to Auvers: from the Gare du Nord and the Gare St-Lazare (both about 42 km from Auvers). At the time the fares were as follows: 1st class: 12 centimes/km; 2nd class 9.2 centimes/km; 3rd class 6.7 centimes/km (i.e. 4.50, 3.68 and 2.68 francs, respectively). Paris, Musée français du chemin de fer. For the exhibition of Raffaëlli ’s work, see letter 876, n. 1. Van Gogh had placed an order for paint in letter 877 . Vincent had asked Theo to send Bargue ’s Exercices au fusain . Regarding this publication, see letter 156, n. 12. For the copies Van Gogh made from Bargue’s sheets in Auvers, see cat. Amsterdam 2007, pp. 479-487, cat. nos. 483-485. It is not known which painting by Guillaumin is referred to here. Only two portraits by Guillaumin coming from the family collection ended up in the Van Gogh Museum, whereas in 1891 the collection contained four of his paintings (possibly including the landscape with sunset mentioned here). See Account book 2002, p. 22. This exchange with Léon Gausson took place after Vincent’s death, as emerges from Gausson’s letter of condolence to Theo (FR b1275, August 1890). See Pickvance 1992, pp. 128-129. The exchange probably included Gausson’s The church tower of Bussy-Saint-Georges, Seine-et-Marne , 1887-1888 (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum). Ill. 2315 . It is not known which work by Van Gogh he received in exchange. According to Francis Jourdain, it was a ‘very beautiful landscape’, still in Gausson’s possession in 1906, ‘which misfortune obliged him to exchange for three or four 100-franc notes’. See Sans remords, ni rancune . Paris 1953, p. 278; quoted in Micheline Hanotelle, Léo Gausson (1860-1944). Un peintre méconnu du Post-Impressionnisme . Paris 2001, p. 21. Pickvance suggested the possibility that it was a painting from Arles that is no longer known. See Pickvance 1992, p. 13. Van Gogh had given Cypresses ( F 620 / JH 1748 ) to Aurier ; see letter 863, n. 9. Vincent had told Theo that his trunk had not yet arrived from Saint-Rémy ( see letter 875 ).